But because of the lie of the land it also contributes to protecting around 10, 000 properties.

BBC: Largest flood scheme in Yorkshire completed

This is obviously true of outsiders, who need to learn the lie of the land.

ECONOMIST: Schumpeter

As a former head of the constitutional court and as the main architect of the new democratic system in Hungary after 1990, this bird knew the lie of the land like no other.

BBC: Are Hungary's reforms a step too far?

The roots of the north-east's poverty lie in a highly unequal land-holding structure, exacerbated by the political power of the landowners.

ECONOMIST: Brazil

Many observers believe land rights lie at the heart of the problem.

BBC: By Sarah Shenker and Elinor Shields

Farmers can also add carbon-rich compost to the soil, and plant "cover crops" such as rye or vetch during parts of the year when land otherwise would lie idle.

NPR: Iowa Farmers Look to Trap Carbon in Soil